Letter: Ballot issue 1A is not an added tax, it's an added value

Oct. 19, 2013

I urge all Larimer County registered voters to vote yes on 1A. This is why:

Larimer County has collected more than $8 million from a dedicated sales tax that can only be spent on specific Larimer County facilities.

The Loveland Courthouse Office Building, a 40-year-old building originally designed as a library, is currently being used to provide county services. The structure is ill-suited to its purpose. It is overcrowded, does not provide adequate public parking, and costs more in yearly maintenance and utilities than any other county building. Furthermore, the building cannot be renovated to meet efficiency standards and be cost effective.

Unfortunately, because of a ballot initiative passed in 1997, the county is permitted to use the dedicated sales tax for remodeling purposes only. This leaves Larimer County in a precarious position. It is irresponsible to put public money into a building that requires continuous repair and eventually will deplete the collected sales tax.

The responsible decision is to build a cost-effective, well-designed building with the collected dedicated sales tax; a building that will serve the needs of Larimer County citizens for years to come. Please vote yes on ballot issue 1A.